The review that made me cry

Authors work in a vacuum. We edit and edit and edit to get our stories as good as they can be. And yet, when we send them out into the world, we have no idea – none – how they are going to be received.

We hold our breaths. We pretend we haven’t published anything. Well, some of us do. I do.

Then the reviews come. And we can no longer live in denial.  

Today on twitter, book blogger, Linda Green (Books of All Kinds) tweeted a link to her review of my new novel, Through the Barricades. It made me cry. In relief. In appreciation. She got it. She got what I had been trying to achieve with my story. I was – and am – and will always be – grateful. Linda knows that – I’ve told her – many times, now – poor thing! I do hope that other reviewers and book bloggers realise just how important they are to us. And how much we appreciate them.

Here is Linda’s review (I want to print it onto my duvet and snuggle up in it forever):

THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is by far my favourite book of 2016. Through the hypnotic characters of Maggie Gilligan and Danny Healy, not only do we get to see an important moment in Irish history come alive in front of our eyes, we also get to understand the harrowing life that so many lived back then, and the undeniable strength and spirit of those that changed the face of Ireland forever. But this is not just a history lesson. This is a story about love and friendship. I fell in love with Danny and Maggie’s relationship as it evolved, with Maggie’s fierce determination to make a difference and improve life for all those she encounters, while Danny literally places his life on the line to protect the woman he loves like no other. We follow them along their dangerous journey as they make new friendships and try to make a change for everyone’s future, and we also get to see the effect this has on their families, watching on the sidelines. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan does not shy away from the harrowing impact of war or death, and it certainly made me emotional at times, but it was the moments of pure love in this tale that really brought a tear to my eye. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is a powerful, emotional story about love – love for one’s country, love for one’s family – and the need to stand up and make yourself heard, to make a difference. Something we all need to be aware of today. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is nothing short of stunning and I know it is a book I will re-read for many years to come.
BOOK RATING – 📖📖📖📖📖 5++++

 

 

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New Reviews

The lovely ChrissiReads reviewed all the Butterfly Novels this week.
The links are below, just click on the title. I’ve included some of the quotes.

And By The Way

“I was absolutely blown away by this book. I thought it was going to be a cutesy romance, which it was, but it was also much more besides. I went through every emotion when I was reading it.”

“Denise Deegan’s writing is beautiful. She really gets inside the head of her characters. I thought she portrayed Alex’s grief was so heartfelt and real.”

And For Your Information

“And For Your Information… is more of a heart-wrenching tale. I couldn’t help but feel moved. I was reading a particularly moving part whilst drinking a yummy hot chocolate in Costa, and I had to put the book down before I began to bawl in public. That’s never a good look.”

“The writing was excellent, I caught up with some much loved characters and I was totally engrossed and moved by the story. It takes quite a lot for me to feel truly emotional by a book, so it’s a sign of a fantastic writer. I keep thinking of this book, long after reading it.”

And Actually…

“I have absolutely adored The Butterfly Novels, and I’m sad that this is the last book in the series. I have grown so attached to these characters”

“Once again Denise Deegan has done a brilliant job at getting to the her reader’s hearts. I felt so sorry for Rachel. She had been cast in a popular TV series and came face to face with Rebecca, a girl that bullied her at her previous school and destroyed her self-esteem.”

There is still time for you to ask me questions, have a look HERE